Battle of Dead Hill

The Battle of Dead Hill was a battle of the Vietnam War that was fought in 1974 during the NVA's final offensives against South Vietnam.

Following the Cu Chi Offensive of 1973, the South Vietnamese lost control of the Saigon surroundings. By then, the NVA and Viet Cong were in control of Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Pleiku, and An Giang Provinces, and only Phu Yen, Tuyen Doc, Binh Long, Long Khanh, Kien Phong, and Vinh Long were up for contention. The NVA resumed its offensive by attacking Tuyen Doc, a region at the very center of South Vietnam. They targeted the ARVN outpost on "Dead Hill", called such due to the destruction of all of its vegetation by artillery and napalm.

500 NVA troops fought for control of the area around the hill, capturing an abandoned settlement at the foot of the hill and holding it against ARVN counterattacks. With the settlement secure, the NVA began the arduous task of storming the hill itself, charging uphill and coming under machine-gun fire. The NVA made use of artillery barrages and snipers to pick off ARVN defensive positions before storming the trenches and advancing through the ARVN's defensive network. After a period of close-quarters trench warfare, the NVA were able to secure the hill, defeating the ARVN and gaining control of the Tuyen Doc region.